Sunday, October 4, 2015

As the gentle reader may have seen on the local news, the Coggs Building (where I work), a Milwaukee County-owned facility that houses the county's aging and disability services, has a bedbug problem:

City of Milwaukee inspectors confirmed Friday that a government office building is home to a bedbug problem.

The Marcia P. Coggs Center houses several government agencies. It continues to be business as usual, however, as there was heavy foot traffic during the afternoon.

A food vendor selling brats and sausages set up across the street from the entrance of the Milwaukee County Human Services area. Getting a quick lunch with her kids Andrella Jackson said she has an expectation the facility is clean.

"It should be, knowing that kids and everybody are coming in here," Jackson said.

But doubt has been cast on hygiene following a release from the Department of Neighborhood Services.

Its inspector says an extermination group found a bedbug hotspot in a cubicle. The inspector describes it being near a waiting room.

Full treatment of the building is happening this weekend. Until then pheromone traps have been laid out, according to a press release.

What has not been reported is that there is another infestation at the Vel R. Phillips Children's Court Center.

Now, I don't blame Milwaukee County Emperor Chris Abele for the infestations per se. There are many different ways that the bugs did get into these buildings.

I have to wonder how much the fact that Abele went with a cut rate cleaning company to do the cleaning has to do with this. I cannot remember the last time that they even vacuumed. And even when they do vacuum, it is with an old, beaten up machine that doesn't do a very good job and they definitely don't do the whole building when they clean.

But what I do fault Abele for not telling staff or the public who have to come to these buildings of the risk. Who knows how many people have taken the bed bugs home with them?

The I-Team has learned the City of Milwaukee is looking into a complaint of a "severe bed bug outbreak" at the Coggs Center.

The complaint was filed Tuesday. The I-Team has learned since then that the Department of Neighborhood Services has been trying to get inside to investigate the complaint, but according to the DNS, they've been unsuccessful.

Not only does Abele not warn people that there is a bed bug infestation, but then he refuses to allow city inspectors into the building!

One has to question whether Abele's refusal to allow the inspectors in the building, much less his refusal to warn the public and the workers is due to his being nervous about his reelection next year or, as we saw when he presented his budget on Thursday, he just as a general disdain for anyone who is not filthy rich like he and his buddies are.